30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 30

I'm thankful to be ending this month of thanksgiving by being able to spend some time today with one of my closest friends and her family, albeit brief. She let me fall, because she knew I had to. But she was also the very first one to step in and pick me, brush me off and help me straighten out.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 29

I'm thankful that I have such a diverse group of friends, covering all the different parts of my life. I learned not to put all my friends in the same basket. Not everyone needs to know all of me all the time. And not all of my friends need to all know each other. For that is the beauty in it.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 28

I'm thankful for the little extra time I had today. I took the two children home with me to a local nursery to look at Christmas decorations. It's too early, in our opinion, to be setting up light displays, but it was fun to watch her little one year old eyes as she looked at all the trees and lights and ornaments, dancing around the store to the music. She picked out an ornament of her very own, and we brought it home. In a few weeks, I'll be sure to let her hang it up on the Christmas tree.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 27

I'm thankful for the "me" time I get on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I've taken this same class for nine years now (with hiatuses during each pregnancy, of course!), and am thankful that, with extra work from my husband and help from friends with children's activities, that I am able to continue having this time to myself, to exercise my body and calm my mind.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 26

I am thankful for the generous, comfortable life that my husband's profession allows us to live. We are able to do so much, more than others, and offer experiences to our children that we did not have as children ourselves.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 25

I'm thankful for yet another tough, adverse situation that my husband and I faced together today, as a team. And yet another situation that we overcame.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 24

I ran another 5K today. Held steady with my time, and with my running partner. I'm thankful for her ability to let me slack when needed, and push me when needed, and her ability to stay by my side when the picture isn't so pretty. And she'll be there for the next 5K too.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 23

I'm thankful for the friends we saw tonight at an impromptu dinner at their restaurant. I'm thankful that my children enjoyed a last minute sleepover with their friend. The fun we had is what life is.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 22

My pantry shelves are overflowing. My fridge and freezers are stocked full. But still, we have the abundance and ability to add to them. Overflowing even more. I have a full tummy, and am thankful.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 21

I'm thankful I was able to learn the difference...

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 20

I'm thankful for what our children said last night at dinner.

We took turns going around the table each saying something we are thankful for. Our children each said they were thankful for one sibling or another, and the reasons why.

They could have been thankful for their American Girl doll, or the dollhouse, or the video games they play. But they chose each other. We try so hard to instill in our kids the ideal that friends, while wonderful, bringing what we need to our worlds, come and go, and sisters (and now brothers) remain constant, even though paths may wane and conversations halt from time to time. We hope our children can see this through their little eyes, and remember it years from now when they are big.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 19

I'm thankful for you.
And for whatever you have brought to me and my family.

30 Days Of Thanksgiving: November 18

I'm thankful today for another fun day with our brood.
I'm thankful for a  big dinner, good wine, a warm fire and my husband's arms.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 17

I'm thankful for the wonderfully fun, busy day my family spent together yesterday. As our girls get older I know there will be less days like yesterday.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 16

I've been making sure to say "Happy Thanksgiving" to people when I'm out and about... Library, dry cleaner, coffee shop, market... It's make people actually give pause and acknowledge the holiday, some seemingly surprised that I may have mentioned it. If I'm helping even one person think of the things they are thankful for this year, then that's good enough for me, and I'm thankful to make even the smallest of impact on their day.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 15

I'm thankful for good conversations. It's always easier to talk honestly about things rather than keeping them inside. It's easier to speak your mind than to edit what you say for fear of someone's feelings being hurt. When all the walls are taken down, relationships are that much easier... healthier... better.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 14

I'm thankful for the ghosts that are haunting me today. They are helping me focus on what really matters.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 13

I'm thankful right now for the chance I got to take a little nap today. It wasn't intended.

Our boy was up bright and early today, long before the sun even glimmered a hope to rise. I didn't mind (too much) his early start to the day. It allowed me some yoga time for me, and a quiet start to a usual loud morning.

But apparently I needed sleep! I quick rest to wait out his baby babbling self to slumber put me down for an hour, too. And thankfully, I was able to do that!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 12

Shame on me, for writing but not posting yesterday...!

I fed eight children lunch today. Four of mine, and four more. I'm grateful that I am able to do this. The kids sat at the table and played "Telephone," giggling at the silly things they said, and enjoying their friends.

"Are you sure?" asked the moms of the other children. "Isn't that a lot to handle?"

No. Not when you really look at the picture that played out in front of me.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 11

Yesterday one of my babies had another swim meet. We astonish everyone there as we all attend, all seven of us, including the littlest ones. It is important to us for our kids to support each other in everything that they do.

I love watching my girl swim. It's one of my favorite things to do. The look on her face is pure contentment, and joy. It brings a tear to my eye to watch her swim. She's not the fastest, but she's mine. And I'm thankful.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 10

My baby has a beautiful smile. She is infectious. Everywhere I go, people who know her tell me how she lights up their day when she smiles at them. Even me, on the mornings I need to wake her for school, she will roll over and look at me, squinty-eyed and disoriented, still half asleep, and smile at me, so happy and so wide it brings tears to my eyes. I hope she never loses that.

Her baby brother seems to have mastered that smile, too. Each time I gaze upon his face, I am treated to the same wide, happy smile. Without teeth, of course. And it makes me so happy. And for that I am thankful.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 9

I just finished delivering a small collection of goods to a friend who is organizing a larger drive of donations to be delivered to regions in New York and New Jersey and to families there who are without what they need to function day to day. I look at our children and realize how well off we are, and how little effort it takes for us to donate to someone who needs it. As I look at the box of diapers and wipes for my own little ones, I'm thankful that we are able to help another mom and dad somewhere take care of their littlest ones, even if it is in just the simplest of ways.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 8

This morning my girls had extra time to play. Most importantly it was in freshly fallen snow.  Magical first snow of the season. I wanted to be outside with them playing, but that's not always possible. I'm thankful I was able to watch them sledding from my dining room window. Too fast, no one will be sledding past that window. I'm glad we took some time today.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 7

Circling the wagons again today. Blessed with the chance to spend the day alongside my husband, doing errands, playing with children, just existing in our home and living our lives. The fresh fallen snow and fire warming our home from its hearth was an added bonus. Thank you for this day.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 6

I am thankful for the opportunity to vote on this marvelous Election Day. I took all my little chickens to vote with me, as we think it is an important thing for them to see and learn, this election process. Probably a few people in the polling location know more than they want to about my political opinions and choices, but that's all good, so long as my children learn. (And, we all get stickers!)

So here's thanking those who have and still serve to protect my freedom to choose hope and change (and to the right person being elected into office).

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 5

I am grateful for the area in the country where I live. I had a chance today to drive through the hills of New England, and even though the leaves are all but fallen from all the trees, it was still beautiful. Nothing is as enjoyable or inspiring as mountainous views, rock walls, farmsteads and pastures. It could only get better if we were able to figure out how to move more North!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 4

Today I'm thankful for my little yellow house. It may be small and it may be noisy but it's our little piece of the world. Or should I say peace? I don't feel well today, and am just enjoying being in my little space, with our little me's, and I'm looking forward to my bed in my newly renovated bedroom, and a cup of tea. It may be a little yellow house, but little houses grow the most love. That's what the sign says, anyway.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 3

Today I am thankful for my village.

Yesterday we enjoyed a night out with friends benefitting a local group. Wine flowed and a good time flourished. New friends were made, and we learned just how far reaching that whole idea of "It takes a village" really goes.

Today we spent the day cheering on our favorite swimmer, amongst all her friends and ours. While I'm sure they enjoyed the time, our friends took turns holding our son while we tended to our other children and cheered our daughter and her friends. I am thankful for them helping me be the mom and friend I am. Where would I be without my village?

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 2

Today, I am thankful for my husband, and all the little ways he shows me he loves me, like the quick and clandestine snuggle in the scant seconds between the alarm going off and the children waking up (or the snooze button being hit and the blissful abyss of that not-being-so-awake time of day). And all the little ways he works so hard to help my days be a little easier, like getting in on the fray in the morning to help pack lunches or doing an errand on the way home from work (usually involving PTO), and always making sure we are fully stocked with wine, even if I've sabotaged a bottle or two in the freezer. And all the little ways he makes me smile, like the silly emails, forwarded anecdotes, and chats we have during the day. And, above all, all the big ways he provides for our family, with all the efforts and exhaustion that comes with it.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 1

There is a movement afoot to share what we are thankful for this month, made especially more poignant after this week's storm. So, since I have no shortage of things to be thankful for ...

Today, right now, I am thankful for my son. He blesses me more with each smile. He gifts me so many things. This evening I enjoyed the sweet smell of his breath, as his head laid on my shoulder, asleep after he ate. I inhaled to memory.